Friday is deadline for FSA County Committee ballots

January 15, 2014

SPARTANBURG — USDA Spartanburg/Union/Cherokee Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Executive Director, Glenn Thomas is reminding farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers in Local Administrative Area #3, (Union County), that they have until this Friday to return completed ballots to FSA.

Eligible voters who have not received a ballot can obtain one from the Spartanburg/Union/Cherokee FSA County Office located at 105 Corporate Dr., Suite G in Spartanburg. The last day for voters to submit completed ballots in person to the Farm Service Agency is Friday. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Friday. The elected producer will represent Union County on the Spartanburg/Union/Cherokee FSA County Committee for the next three years.

County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support programs; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster programs for some commodities; emergency programs and eligibility. FSA committees operate within official regulations designed to carry out federal laws.

To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program. A person who is not of legal voting age, but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm may also be eligible to vote. Agricultural producers in each county submitted candidate nominations during the nomination period, which ended on Aug. 1.

Close to 7,700 FSA county committee members serve in the 2,124 FSA offices nationwide. Each committee consists of three to 11 members who serve three-year terms. Approximately one-third of county committee seats are up for election each year. More information on county committees, such as the 2013 fact sheet and brochures, can be found on the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections or at a local USDA Service Center.